Kentucky Derby 2018: Post positions for Triple Crown race at Churchill Downs

The 2018 Kentucky Derby is set for May 5, and now we know the full list of entries and their post positions. That information was learned via the post position draw, which was held on Tuesday morning and broadcast/live streamed on Facebook and on Twitter.

Last year’s Derby winner, Always Dreaming, started from the fifth post position. In 2018, Audible will be starting from that spot. Here is a look at all the post positions in the first Triple Crown race of the year:

2018 Kentucky Derby post positions

1. Firenze Fire

2. Free Drop Billy

3. Promises Fulfilled

4. Flameaway

5. Audible

6. Good Magic

7. Justify

8. Lone Sailor

9. Hofburg

10. My Boy Jack

11. Bolt D’Oro

12. Enticed

13. Bravazo

14. Mendelssohn

15. Instilled Regard

16. Magnum Moon

17. Solomini

18. Vino Rosso

19. Noble Indy

20. Combatant

Alternate: Blended Citizen

Does Kentucky Derby post position matter?

At the end of the day, there are so many factors that go into which horse will win, but the starting post is always a big consideration. The fifth post is one of the favorites among those with favored horses. California Chrome is the recent big-name horse who won from that spot. Gate 17 is the only one that has never seen a horse win from it in 143 years of racing. The three to the right of it have produced just one win each.

Classic Empire, the favorite in 2017, started from Gate 14, which has only produced two winners in history, and did not get the win.

Who are the 2018 Kentucky Derby favorites?

This year’s favorites are Justify and Magnum Moon, horses that were not raced as two-year-olds. The so-called Apollo’s Curse refers to the fact that a horse who wasn’t raced as a two-year-old also hasn’t won the derby since Apollo did it all the way back in 1882. It was also a much, much different race back then.

Many believe Justify and Magnum Moon, fresh off wins in the Santa Anita Derby and Arkansas Derby, respectively, can break the curse.

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